We are losing our generation’s “race to the moon” in clean energy technology innovation. Plain and simple. The EU and Asia are beating us. Hands down. The main driver for this is two-fold. First and foremost is financial. The 2009 Recovery Act stimulus package poured $27 Billion into energy efficiency and research into renewable energy from the Federal government. The well is running dry providing less incentive to develop new clean energy technologies. Manufacturing in the US has historically turned to consumer-facing technologies rather than develop back-line solutions to increase their bottom line when they have to rely on their own financial backbone.

In addition to this financial resource dwindling, the current Federal Budget has proposed even more cuts to federal energy research as well as a complete closure of the Department of Energy’s Moonshot Unit, ARPA-E. This unit is responsible to funding high-risk to reward opportunities for improving and inventing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and combat global climate change. This would require the states to fill the void as a funding mechanism. The challenge there is the financial health of many states is not so great – I’m looking at you Illinois and Kansas specifically, among many others.

This brings us to the second driver which is political. The current administration’s contempt for climate change and indication it plans on pulling out of the Paris climate deal coupled with a gutting of the EPA and Department of Energy have set the tone for now our standing in the global race for energy sustainability. Some states, such as California, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, and others have not only taken a stand against what the Federal Government is doing and has proposed, but also have made it a core mission to financially back green technology innovation.
The US has already seen a 9% dip in federally funded clean technology patents compared to 2014 after seeing patents double every year between 2001-2014. This lack of available funds in the U.S. will make it very difficult to achieve even modest sustainability goals here at home. Lack of innovation coupled with a shift in attitude towards adoption could spell disaster for the United States standing on this issue. We have already seen countries such as Germany, China, Indian, Pakistan and even Russia call the US out as failing to live up to its COP21 commitment.
A recent study by the Nicholas School of the Environment indicates that green technology must see an adoption rate globally 10 times greater than what is currently happening in order to meet climate change goals of COP21. This requires not only a long-game view of new green energy solutions but a near term investment in capital but participating nations to achieve this. The greatest opportunity in the US for this adoption is with the Millennials who not only have rapidly growing purchasing power but also have little brand or country of origin loyalties that precious generations have had. This means that the European and Asian countries who are investing heavily into clean technology will be where these people go to make their purchases.

Germany and China are leading the pack in this race and have already blown right by us. Germany recently set a record with 41 percent of its power coming from renewables and China’s recent heavy $32B investment in foreign investment in renewables (a 60 percent increase for 2017) shows they are serious players in this arena. This is in addition to China already outspending the US on renewable energy 2:1 which has spurred economic growth and job creation outpacing the US in every metric. This is more than just their heavy investment in solar panel factories but includes electric vehicles and Lithium-Ion battery technology that could put a major dent in the US auto industry. Why would the US care? Developing nations, that’s why. These are the buyers of tomorrow and will certainly look to who is leading the pack which will not only hurt the US domestic markets for exports but will dramatically reduce our ability to inject ourselves at a later date if we ever get back on tract and have to play catch up as the EU and Asian technologies will have had the benefit of longevity in the market.

Even now, many of the ICT industries technologies are currently and increasingly designed and manufactured in China and elsewhere in the Asian peninsula instead of on US soil. Until the US gets its political house in order and back it up with a solid financial commitment instead of the current slash and burn while supporting legacy energy solutions such as coal and oil we will continue to lose this race. The discussions at the recent G20 summit in Germany are indicative of how badly we are not Making America Great Again.

Once upon a time, there was a great and renowned chef who was planning to open a prestigious restaurant in a highly prosperous suburb of a lovely city. He wanted to have not only stunning food, which he was quite sure he could provide, but also an exceptional architectural presentation and interior design as well. He commissioned a legendary craftsman to create for him three visually stunning chandeliers to illuminate and decorate his food palace.

But amidst all this visual beauty, one thing was forgotten — the essential purpose of the space from a human perspective.

As many of you know by now, I have been crying out from my orator’s soapbox about the failure of architects and interior designers to include acoustical treatment as a standard part of their designs thus making it possible for people to hold normal conversations in public spaces like the restaurant in our story.

I would add that it is important for audio system designers to offer acoustical treatment to their clients and it is important for those clients to insist on appropriate acoustical treatment in their initial consultation with architects and interior designers.

But, after half a lifetime (it seems) of furious debate with negligible improvement, perhaps it’s time to deploy a new army of good sound missionaries. After all, is it not essential that any space into which people enter to hold conversations, allow such communication to be heard with sufficient precision to be understandable by those people?

The voluptuous design and accoutrements of the esteemed chef’s food palace did not create such a possibility. For its marble, glass and metal made the room a giant echo chamber, and the chef’s customers could only hear a cacophony of sound with no clarity or distinction — and, despite great food, they were greatly disappointed by their “customer experience.”

ACOUSTICAL REALITY

While the fairy tale above is framed as a story, unfortunately, the reality is that this problem crops up every day, everywhere, in all kinds of spaces, with restaurants being consistently some of the most egregious examples.

Perhaps a bit of background is necessary.

Realistically, once you get to any room somewhat larger than a standard sized residential bathroom, you’re more than likely going to need some kind of acoustical absorption or diffusion to make the space useable for people and conversation. It might well be as simple as including thick under-carpet padding, or a significant amount of wall space taken up with filled bookcases, or even some sprayed on version of that fluffy looking ceiling popcorn type material home builders were so fond of 20 or 30 years ago.

Or it could be (wait for it) actual, real, calculated, professionally planned acoustical treatment based on proper science and methodology, plus real world measurements — Holy smokes, Dr. Sabine!

The essential issue here is that 99 percent of restaurants need it. Thus, any qualified architect/interior design team should have included it in the budget and their schematic plans and as submitted designs from day one. The discussion with the clients and owners should be about how much and where, not “oops, I forgot it again.” What would happen if the architects and interior design team forgot the bathrooms? Think anyone would notice that? Well…. both are equally essential to a functioning space.

Somehow this “Oops, I Did It Again” (to quote that notorious intellectual, Brittany Spears), attitude seems to be most prevalent within the restaurant design cosmos. Why they do it so routinely remains one of the great mysteries of the universe, but suffice to say it is absolutely positively, definitely and totally guaranteed to anger 4.9 out of five patrons.

While cogitating on this great mystery, the thought occurred that perhaps we should create and promote a special Facebook page called the Acoustic Fiasco “Hall of Shame” — highlighting an EPIC FAIL each month (although weekly wouldn’t be out of the question). Yes, it would be an immensely cheap and easy shot, but then there is that one example that rises so far above the norm as to deserve its own article — this one!

So…. the award goes to a project entitled “The Three Chandeliers.”

Let’s start with the basics. This restaurant is one of a planned chain.

As we look upon this work of utter genius from a reflected ceiling plan perspective, one notices the elegant custom Italian (read seriously high $$$) marble floor offering no acoustical absorption. The perimeter wall is half glass and half drywall, offering little surface area for treatments.

The high ceiling adds another second or so to the reverberation time and perhaps a few reflections, yet offers several obvious but initially unused [see below for the eventual result] opportunities to add acoustical absorption.

Now take a moment to have a longer look at the last (ceiling coves) photo. For any acoustician, even a novice, this should have been a slam dunk to resolve. A ten minute discussion, a costing and materials memo, and a couple of spec sheets would have easily done the job — UP FRONT, or even while construction was underway as long as final finishes had not yet been applied.

OK, so the answer is blatantly obvious and easily implemented. So the critical question becomes, “Was there no budget for acoustical absorption?” Clearly there was more than enough money for some posh “statement” three-tiered crystal chandeliers, custom marble floors, hand built dining tables, and I’m sure logoed china, maybe custom silverware, and of course embroidered uniforms or clothing for the staff, first class chef’s hats, six- to seven-figure kitchen fit-out and on and on. Oh, and I’m also sure the staff went to training to develop that slightly arrogant, cynical attitude necessary for such a high dollar dining experience, with menu pricing to match.

The irony of trying to have any sort of remotely useful spoken or heaven forbid musical content intrude into this gigantic hollow echo chamber of a space other than “Can you please repeat that?” is mildly entertaining. Oh and in case you missed them, look for the two dangling video monitors, which are switched off — anyone want to hazard a guess as to why?

Now the comeuppance. After about three months, and a continual litany of complaints, even some in the reviews from the hoity-toity food critics (local and national), magically time and budget were found to make use of the obvious space and install some effective acoustical absorption to this facility. I’m sure there was massive screaming and yelling from his highness the chef/owner and the top line staff about the three days they were temporarily closedfor the needed work to be accomplished. But it was done — well after it should have been done and at a much higher cost (including three days of not serving big buck prix-fixe dinners). But where do you think they put it? And, by the way, a dark drape was hung over the glass facing the street during the work to hide the fact that it was being done — just too arrogant to admit their mistake!

Figured it out yet? Besides the you-can’t-see-it materials up in the ceiling, look closely at the tables. Each table bottom is carpeted with a fiberglass foam board material sandwiched above. A clever solution which while helpful could easily have been avoided, if the issue had been handled beforehand. Of course there was much hair tearing about the visual effect this had on those brutally costly custom marble table but oh well.

Unfortunately the conversation that would really have been revealing is lost to the echoes in the space. That is the one between the owner and the architect about the acoustics right before opening.

After all, the issue wasn’t just acoustical treatment. It was the lost perspective on the purpose of the space and the fact that genuine homo-sapiens with (assumedly) functional ears would be occupying it nightly. Didn’t anybody consider they might want to actually have a conversation?

We’re back from InfoComm 2017 and we saw a lot of products. A lot. It’s tough to pick out the best and the brightest from the thousands of products and hundreds of exhibitors introduced on the ortow floor. But after much consideration, our entire team picked what we thought were the best things on the show floor. Congratulations to all the winning companies!

Xantech’s new HDMI Cables are available in .7-meter, 1-meter, 1.5-meter, 2-meter, 3-meter and 4-meter lengths. They are equipped with the company’s patented X-GRIP technology that is spec’d to resist up to 10 pounds of pull force (to keep cables securely in place). Xantech has designed these cables for commercial integrators.

With support for all current HDMI features — including HDR, 18Gbps transfer rates, resolutions up to UHD and DCI 4K at 60 frames per second in 4:4:4 Chroma sub-sampling, Audio Return Channel, Dolby Surround and more. Additionally, the new line-up features a solid aluminum internal EMI shielding jacket that encases the entire connector head overlapping the cable’s shielding well. Gold plated contacts housed in a porcelain-shielded connector aid in rejecting stray capacitance from other interconnected components.

Extron has announced the immediate availability of the EBP 1200C Cable Cubby Enclosure with eBUS button panel. This new button panel is neatly-integrated into the lid of the enclosure and combines intuitive AV control, connectivity, and power all in one, furniture-mountable device. The easy-to-use control panel works with all eBUS-enabled control systems and connects to an IPCP Pro control processor to perform a wide variety of AV system functions such as display On/Off, input switching, volume control, and much more. The flip-up button panel has ten customizable, soft-touch buttons that are backlit for easy operation in low-light environments. The cable access enclosure supports up to three single-space AAPs and up to three Extron Retractors. The EBP 1200C enables integrators to deploy a contemporary, furniture-mountable eBUS button panel with cable management and easy access to AV connectivity and power.

Extron’s eBUS technology is based on a digital bus architecture that allows for easy control system expansion, greater design options, and future upgrades. As with our TouchLink Pro touchpanels, eBUS button panels are designed for use with any Extron IPCP Pro Series control processor. A single eBUS button panel can be used as the AV control interface for a smaller system or multiple button panels and touchpanels may be combined when a more elaborate control system is required.

RCF just introduced the MZ8060, an 8×6 digital audio matrix mixer built on the company’s RDNet DSP platform. RDNet is a proprietary protocol for RCF loudspeaker products that provides dedicated networking software that makes is possible to control and monitor all system components and parameters. The DSP allows for configurable system programming including room combining, automatic level control, along with all audio input and output criteria including EQs, gates, compressors, limiters, delays, priorities and levels.

The MZ8060 features eight universal mic/line inputs with six balanced outputs along with 10 programmable logic inputs and six programmable logic outputs. In addition it includes these features:

Luxul has announced today the availability of its new Epic 5 router. The new Epic series of routers are available in two basic configurations: The Epic 4 Series and the Epic 5 Series. While the Epic 4 released earlier this year is designed to offer 600+ Mbps WAN to LAN performance, the new Epic 5 supports gigabit WAN to LAN (900+ Mbps) speeds for those customers with access to gigabit service, or for future-proofing for when the local ISP does offer gigabit service. The Epic 5 also features Dual-WAN capability with load-balancing and failover control, advanced security and remote access features, and a console port for local configuration.

In addition to being commercial-grade routers, the Epic series offers a platform for optimizing the user experience in smart homes, workplaces, retail establishments and more. This experience is delivered through Luxul and third-party applications running on the Epic platform, the first of which is enhanced content filtering from Router Limits. Additional applications including Domotz remote network monitoring are planned for future development. The applications also offer the perfect base upon which to build recurring revenue.

At just 3.86 millimeters (0.15 inches) thick, the 65EV960H can be installed in luxury hotel suites using ultra-slim mounting brackets with a magnetic mat to create a truly seamless design that becomes one with the wall. Its electrical components are housed in the device’s Media Box, connected through an ultra-thin flat cable, which allows the panel to lie flush against the wall like a piece of art and makes installation a breeze. Even more, the Ultra HD OLED display’s inventive technology can be seen from wide viewing angles, so guests can enjoy the TV’s rich color and crisp picture regardless of their seat in the room.

The LG OLED Wallpaper Hotel TV comes equipped with the Pro:Idiom digital rights management system and the flexible LG Pro:Centric Smart applications platform, which makes navigating LG’s vast content options within the interactive platforms simple and fast. The state-of-the-art display also supports leading high dynamic range (HDR) formats, including HDR 10, Dolby Vision and HLG. The TV’s powerful 4K upscaler enhances the details and colors of non-4K content on the screen’s 8 million-plus pixels. The 65EV960H is one of the first TVs in the world to incorporate Dolby Atmos sound, allowing viewers to hear surround sound like never before with overhead audio for a theater-like experience in the comfort of their hotel room.

Ever wonder how this entire industry got started? Some argue it was the speaker, and others says it was the projector that kick-started the AV Industry, as we know it today. We’ll take a look at the speaker later this summer, but for now, let’s look at the history of the projector — rAVe [Infographics] style!

We have partnered with Johnnie & Co. to create this series. Johnnie & Co. offers unique web-design services for the AV integrator community — check them out here.

Extron Ships Three New Control Processors with Network Isolation for Added Security

Extron announced the immediate availability of several new IP Link Pro control processors, including the IPCP Pro 555, IPCP Pro 355 DR and the IPCP Pro 255. Each control processor in this lineup features advanced security standards and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, which ensure compatibility with multiple TouchLink Pro touchpanels using a standard network infrastructure. Of the two Ethernet ports, the AV LAN is designated to control local AV devices, and is secure from outside interference or intrusion. All of these can be used with Extron LinkLicense, which further enhances the capabilities of Extron Pro Series control systems.

The IPCP Pro 555, IPCP Pro 355 DR and the IPCP Pro 255 can be configured using Global Configurator Plus or Global Configurator Professional software or programmed using Extron Global Scripter. For enterprise-wide applications, GlobalViewer Enterprise can provide centralized AV resource monitoring, management and control over a computer network.

Legrand (parent company for Middle Atlantic, Luxul, ON-Q and Vantage) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Milestone AV Technologies, the parent company of AV brands including Da-Lite, Vaddio, Sanus, Projecta and Chief, which makes projector mounts, projection screens, PTZ cameras, equipment racks and AV furniture for both the HomeAV and ProAV markets. The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including termination or expiration of the applicable waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

What does rAVe founder Gary Kayye think of this — and how much was Milestone AV purchased for?Go here and find out.

“Legrand is committed to serving the professionally installed AV industry which is an attractive growth area driven by the advancement and expansion of video applications,” said John Selldorff, president and CEO of Legrand, north and central America. “The combination of Milestone’s display mounting, projection screen and content capture technologies with Legrand’s strong offering in enclosures, power, furniture, connectivity and cable management, will greatly enhance Legrand’s position in the industry – in both the commercial and consumer segments – and make us a more significant AV infrastructure supplier to our customers and channel partners.”

Once the transaction closes, the plan is for Milestone and Legrand’s Middle Atlantic business to come together under the AV Division of Legrand. Both the Milestone and Middle Atlantic product lines will continue to remain in the market place, establishing an offering that can be expanded to serve AV customers globally.

“Legrand and Milestone are recognized for solving customer challenges with innovative products and delivering exceptional customer experiences,” said Scott Gill, CEO of Milestone. “Bringing together Milestone and Middle Atlantic under Legrand will allow us to offer an expanded range of highly complementary AV brands to our customers while leveraging combined best practices to deliver continued innovation.”

LG Electronics USA Business Solutions is launching an advanced new content management system for hotels called Pro:Centric Direct that features an authoring tool using drag and drop widgets as well as new over-the-top Internet video streaming and casting services. The upgraded Pro:Centric Direct platform allows system integrators virtually unlimited design options for guest user interfaces while providing them access to new streaming services in partnership with system integrators.

Based on HTML5, the LG Pro:Centric Direct platform features easy editing tools to allow the system integrator to design a truly custom look and feel for their hotel clients – from a blank template “free design” to various theme templates provided by LG.

Pro:Centric Direct enables LG’s system integrator partners to interface their network servers and Chromecast or similar casting devices, to enable guests to pair and stream content from their Android and iOS mobile devices, or launch any of the embedded applications of LG’s smart hotel TVs. Providing guests access to these services either from their devices or from the smart television platform offers a wide selection of Internet-based video and music entertainment options within a single unified platform, Kosla explained.

LG Pro:Centric Direct also helps hoteliers keep guests up-to-date on hotel activities, news, weather and other information within seconds through widgets that can be placed on the TVs home screen. Offering guests more services than ever before, the LG Pro:Centric Direct platform features an IP interface for two-way communications, enabling guests to place orders for room service, make appointments at the spa, interact with the concierge, review their portfolio and check out, to name a few. Guests no longer have to search the room for information. All updates, menus and content are in one place – on the TV.

Yamaha today announced the Yamaha YVC-1000MS, a USB speakerphone solution engineered with Yamaha’s quality audio technology and expertise to enhance the Skype for Business meeting user experience. Available in October 2017, the Yamaha YVC-1000MS microphone and speaker system has passed Skype for Business’ Certification Version 3 tests, meeting the high standards that define the Skype for Business meeting experience.

The YVC-1000MS is a scalable solution engineered to support the audio requirements of large meeting rooms, rooms with special table configurations, and even remote education classes or seminars within the Skype for Business application. The YVC-1000MS features separate microphone and speaker units.

Synthax and Ferrofish Announce New Verto Series Dante Digital Converters

Synthax, the Americas distributor for Ferrofish, has introduced the new Ferrofish Verto 32, Verto 64 and Verto MX Dante format converters. The Verto 32 and Verto 64 offer ADAT (32×32 or 64×64 channels) while the Verto MX has MADI. With the ability to easily integrate ADAT and MADI into an existing Dante network, the Verto converters feature word clock I/O for external synchronization and can be remotely controlled.

The Ferrofish Verto series can be remotely controlled via the Dante Network. If all devices are connected via MIDI, the Verto converts all Dante audio streams to ADAT or MADI and the control commands are sent over Dante into MIDI remote control messages. The Verto MX offers an additional feature. Instead of a separate MIDI port, the MIDI messages are extracted from the MIDI-over-MADI port.

For recording studio applications, the new Verto 32 and Verto 64 are the ideal solutions for converting both ADAT and MADI to the Dante format while the Verto MX is well-suited to broadcast environments where 64 MADI channels can be easily converted and placed on a Dante network. The Verto 32 and Verto 64 models support sampling frequencies ranging from 44.1 kHz – 96 kHz while the Verto MX supports sampling frequencies from 44.1 kHz – 192 kHz.

All three Ferrofish Verto devices offer one 5-pin MIDI port each for input and output. Similarly, all three models provide one BNC word clock input and one BNC word clock output for synchronization purposes. Equally notable, each model is housed in a compact 1RU / half space enclosure.

multiCAM Systems is launching a new IP interface feature that receives IP video streams directly from the local area network. The new capability, which requires no additional hardware or software, works with the company’s entire product line as well as any PTZ camera available today.

multiCAM Systems’ integrated IP interface supports a much greater number of cameras than is traditionally available through SDI capture cards. The IP functionality also reduces the size and cost of the central server, as all video streams and PTZ camera control are managed over the network without the need for special IT equipment. Customers retain the flexibility to use IP or SDI for each input to support mixed camera environments.

Available immediately, the IP input feature works in Visual Radio applications using MULTICAM RADIO, and it offers native IP connectivity for Visual Radio. On the commercial AV side, the new IP interface is ideal within classrooms, corporate AV environments (meeting and huddle rooms, large conference spaces) and theaters/auditoriums using MULTICAM CONF, MULTICAM E-LEARNING or MULTICAM TRACKING to produce and stream lectures, presentations and live events.

In addition to immediately adding multiple high-quality camera signals to the network, the IP interface enables full PTZ control and power over a single network cable. The latter is possible when using a Power over Ethernet-enabled (PoE) network switch or PoE injector.

Extron is now shipping the XTP 4K twisted pair products. The XTP T USW 103 4K three input switcher is ideal for use beneath tables and within lecterns, while the XTP T HWP 101 4K transmitter provides discreet and elegant options for wall mount applications. They are HDCP 2.2 compliant, and enable extension of 4K video up to 330 feet (100 meters) over one, shielded CATx cable. These models join the other shipping XTP 4K twisted pair products to give even more options for bringing 4K resolutions into existing and new XTP Systems.

These new XTP products bring added convenience for signal transmission needs in a variety of environments. The multiple inputs of the XTP T USW 103 4K switcher support direct connection of HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA and audio sources, and it includes an HDMI input loop-through for a local monitor. Automatic switching between inputs with selectable prioritization simplifies operation in unmanaged locations. For installation in wall mount, floor box and furniture mount applications, the one‑gang form factor of the XTP T HWP 101 4K decorator-style wallplate transmitter provides the convenience of placing input connections precisely where they are needed. Set up and commissioning are easy with Extron XTP System Configuration Software.

Optoma today announced three new projectors designed for large classroom, corporate meeting room and training lab settings. The Optoma EH400+, W400+ and X400+ all feature a spec of 4,000 lumens and 22,000:1 contrast ratio and are integrated with Wall Color Adjustment Allowing you to adjust the projected image to accommodate different color walls — so you don’t have to use a screen. With a 1.3x zoom, the new line of proAV projectors are designed for installation. Inputs include two HDMI ports, VGA-in, composite video, USB power and content for legacy sources. A VGA Wireless Dongle and HDCast Pro are optional for wireless streaming and mirroring. All of them are single-chip DLP projectors.

The EH400+ is a native 1080p projector (1920×1080) and lists for $799. The W400+ is a WXGA projector (1280×800) and is $699. And, the X400+ is an XGA projector (1024×768) for $599. Here are links to more detailed specs for the EH400+, W400+ and X400+

Extron Ships Industry’s First Control Processor With AV LAN Ports and PoE+

In a move to, no doubt, be watched by both Luxul and Pakedge, Extron’s new IPCP Pro 360 is a control processor with three dedicated AV LAN ports and one standard Ethernet port. The control processor provides PoE+ to external devices, eliminating the need for additional power supplies. It features security standards and Gigabit Ethernet ports, which ensure compatibility with multiple TouchLink Pro touchpanels using a standard network infrastructure. The AV LAN ports are designed to control local AV devices, and safeguard them from outside intrusion or interference. The IPCP Pro 360 can be used with Extron LinkLicense, which further enhances the capabilities of Extron Pro Series control systems. The IPCP Pro 360 is an ideal choice for controlling multiple devices and control signal types within AV systems requiring an isolated AV network.

The Extron IPCP Pro 360 can be configured using Global Configurator Plus or Global Configurator Professional software or programmed using Extron Global Scripter. Here are the specs.

Oblong Industries has released its Mezzanine 200 Series visual collaboration solution with a new Partner Kit. This ‘Mezzanine 200 in a box’ Partner Kit is designed to be a packaged solution for huddle rooms.

The Mezzanine 200 Series offers the a platform for global team collaboration in these smaller connected spaces. From a technical standpoint, this solution services a simple, dual-screen configuration, making it easy to deploy. It complements a wide choice of display screens, VTC codecs, and other hardware peripherals offered by partners to provide full room solutions to their preferred customers. But, what really makes Mezzanine 200 different is the bezel-mounted infrared gesture-tracking system, which provides a natural interface option with multiple simultaneous content streams: Just point the remote wand device at content on the screens to highlight, snapshot, move and scale important information on the fly.

The wand is just one of the interface options for Mezzanine, as laptops, smart phones and tablet devices also have equal access to control the workspace, wirelessly. Mezzanine 200 can be installed and fully operable within a day.

With a significantly lower price point than the brand’s 600 Series, the 200 is Oblong’s most affordable solution to date, while still having the same user experience including concurrent viewing of up to ten shared devices, gestural interaction, and real-time control by multiple participants.

Touch annotation on the Mezzanine 200 Series means it allows annotation over multiple streams simultaneously. Collaborators can annotate over graphics or live video, including live video feeds of analog whiteboards in other locations. Snapshot the annotated content instantly to create a new asset and deliver it directly into the workspace portfolio for later reference and download.

For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe ProAV Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!

For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).

Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.

To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com

A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.

Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: http://www.ravepubs.com